Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, has called for the identification and prosecution of Independent National Electoral Commission officials who were involved in adding artificial intelligence-generated photographs and other dubious records to the preliminary voters’ register.
Atiku also warned of legal action against the electoral commission should it refuse to reveal the identities of the officials involved and the companies contracted to produce sensitive election materials for the 2027 general elections.
His demands came after INEC acknowledged that some registration officers across the country had allegedly misused their access credentials to introduce irregularities into the voter registration database.
The former vice president made these demands in a statement issued in Abuja on Friday by Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, who described the development as a serious breach of public trust and a failure of the commission’s internal safeguards.
Atiku stated that INEC’s admission that its registration officers had compromised the database raised fundamental questions about the security of the electoral register and the commission’s ability to ensure credible elections.
“INEC has admitted that some AI-generated images are on the voter register and that registration officers introduced irregularities across the country.
“The commission charged with protecting Nigerians’ votes has acknowledged that its own system was abused by those entrusted to operate it. This is a catastrophic failure of leadership and safeguards,” the statement said.
He took issue with the explanation given by Dr. Lawrence Bayode, INEC’s Director of Information and Communication Technology, who was reported to have said the commission understood how the irregularities were introduced but was unable to determine why the officers involved acted as they did.
The ADC presidential candidate called the explanation an effort to dodge responsibility, maintaining that the commission must make its findings public and clarify why those implicated had not been suspended or prosecuted.
“Amupitan cannot admit the misconduct, withhold the perpetrators’ identities, and expect Nigerians to accept ignorance as an excuse,” he said, referring to the INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan.
The former vice president also demanded an independent forensic audit of the preliminary voter register, contending that the commission should not be permitted to delete questionable entries without keeping evidence of how they were added.
He called on INEC to retain all voter records, image files, access logs, and audit trails so that independent experts, political parties, civil society organisations, and credible international observers can examine them.organizations,
“INEC must not quietly ‘clean up’ the register and bury the evidence. The allegation that more than 20 million AI-generated images may be involved demands an independent forensic audit,” he said.
The presidential candidate insisted that all disputed records must undergo proper scrutiny before the final register is certified.
Atiku also reiterated his call for transparency in the awarding of contracts for producing sensitive election materials, accusing INEC of not addressing the concerns opposition parties raised about the identities of the companies handling such assignments.
He contended that opposition parties had a right to know which companies were involved, what their assignments entailed, and what security arrangements governed the production and handling of election materials.
He warned that the ADC would turn to the courts if the commission did not supply the requested information.
“If the APC government knows who is handling these materials and what protocols apply, opposition parties must receive the same information. Publish the contractors’ identities and explain the safeguards governing their work.
“If INEC refuses to disclose the truth, we will go to court and compel it. Every official found to have tampered with the register must be prosecuted,” he said.
He also called on opposition leaders and the international community to demand an independent investigation, full disclosure, and accountability, accusing the Tinubu administration of allowing the electoral commission to operate without sufficient scrutiny.
“INEC has no right to demand trust while concealing evidence and shielding those responsible. Name the culprits, expose the contractors, and submit the register and election materials to independent scrutiny. Until then, its assurances are worthless. The credibility of the 2027 election is on the line,” he said.
INEC’s admission came after public concerns were raised about suspicious photographs, alleged duplicate entries, and other inconsistencies in its preliminary voters’ register, which was uploaded to the commission’s website on October 26.
The controversy drew attention after photographs believed to have been created with artificial intelligence were found in voter records in parts of Edo State, including the Etsako West Local Government Area.
Speaking on Arise Television on Friday, INEC’s ICT Director, Bayode, said the commission’s Automated Biometric Identification System helped expose the questionable records and traced some of the irregularities to registration officers who had access to its database.
He explained that although some of the photographs were AI-generated, others stemmed from what he called poor registration procedures.
The commission had earlier clarified that the online register was the same preliminary document displayed physically at Registration Areas nationwide between October 9 and 15 for the Display, Claims, and Objections exercise.
INEC insisted that the register was not the final certified version and that it was reviewing questionable entries ahead of the scheduled certification of the final register on December 15, 2026.
The controversy has intensified growing political scrutiny of INEC’s preparations for the 2027 elections, with opposition parties calling for greater transparency in voter registration, personnel deployments, and the procurement of sensitive election materials.
